Street-sweeper.



No. 37,704. Patented Nov. 2|, I899.-

A. anown.

STREET SWEEPER.

(Application filed. my 17, 1899.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet A TTOHNEYS.

No. 637,704. Patented Nov. 2|, I899. A. BROWN.

STREET SWEEPEB.

(Application fllqd may 17, 1899.

//v VEN 7'0/7 zfllvc'iv final/iv.

(No Model.)

A 7TORNE'YS.

WITNESSES roams PEIERS 0a.. PHOTO-LITHO. wnsnma'ron. n. c,

No. 637,704. Patented Nov. 2|, I899.

, A. BROWN.

STREET SWEEPEB.

(Application md m 17, 1599.;

(No Model.) 7 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

WITNESSES. I INVENTOI? I v 5 BY W ATTORNEYS INITED ST TES PATENT OFFICE.

ALVIN BROWN, OF AURORA, ILLINOIS.

STREET-SWEEPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of I Letters Batent No. 637,704, dated November 21, 1899. Application filed May 17, 1899. $erial No. 717,191. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern: k

Be it known that I, ALVIN BROWN, of Aurora, in the countyof Kane and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Street-Sweepers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement upon the street-sweeper for which Letters Patent were granted me, dated June 7, 1898, No. 605,385. There are two principal features of improvement. One is in the peculiar construction and arrangement of the main frame, and the other is in the special construction and arrangement of the dirt-chamberand movable dirt-receptacles, which are so constructed as to be arranged within each of the sweepers to receive the dirt and trash until they are filled and then be run out upon rails or skids to a truck, upon which a'number of them at one time are carried away to the dump, while other empty receptacles are placed in the sweepers. This permits the sweepers to keep constantly at Work sweeping, saving the time of the sweeper, team, and driver in going to the dump, and permitting one driver and one team to take a number of dirt-receptacles to the dump at one time.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved sweeper. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sec-' tion on line 2 2, Fig. 1, showing the means for transferring the dirt-receptacles to the dump-truck. Fig. 3 is a detail showing the application of skids to the dirt-chamber. Fig. 4 is a perspective View of the dirt-receptacle. Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal section through the dirt-chamber, and Fig. 6 is a detail view.

In the drawings, Fig. 1, O are the front wheels, and O the rear wheels. To the latter is bolted a circular ring of teeth 8, that mesh with a pinion '7 on the upper shaft 5, Fig. 5, carrying sprocketwheelsli, that drive the endless brush-belt 1. A smaller sprocketwheel 4 near the ground carries the lower end of the brush-belt and is adjusted both vertically and horizontally by means substantially the same as those shown in my previous patent. The pinion 7 is also provided with a clutch, with operating-lever 11, Fig. 1, togglearms 13, and handle-bar 16 for operating them,

whereby pinion 7 is thrown into or out of gear with thebelt-driving sprocket-wheel 3, all as or key the axle w of the rear wheel 0.

construction and arrangement of the main frame and dirt-receptacles are, however, altogetherdifierent, and these I now will proceed to describe.

A is a vertical post whose lower end extends below the main rail B and is provided with a hub, in which is rigidly held by a set-screw This axle passes entirely through the machine, extending between the upper and lower runs of the brush-belt. The main side rails B are made of channel-iron and extend the whole length of the machine, as follows: Commenc- 'are firmly bolted to them. From this point they are curved upwardly and forwardly to the rear top corner of the dirt-chamber X. Then they extend horizontally along the top of said dirt-chamber to the front top corner of the same, and from this point they curve downwardly to the level of the drivers platform and extend a short distance horizontally beneath the platform. To support the pinion-bearing of the upper sprocket-wheel, a horizontal bar D, Fig. l, is bolted at its front end to the upward curve of rail B, between post A and the dirt-chamber, and at its rear end is bolted to the post A. Another bar E is arranged horizontally just above D and parallel with it and is at its front end bolted tothe rail B near the top rear corner of the dirt-chamber and at its rear end is bolted to the vertical post A. This bar E carries the rigid fulcrum-bracket of, the clutch-lever 11. The top casing-bar F is curved and at its front end is bolted to therail B at the top rear corner of the dirt-chamber and at its rear end to the top of post A. The two side frames A B D E F are connected together by crossbars G G G in front and in the rear by the main axle at the bottom of posts A and a cross-bar G at the top of said posts, as shown in Fig. l. The special construction of this frame gives it a trnssed efiect that renders it stilf and strong and well adapted to carrying heavy loadsof wet dirt.

On the extreme rear end of rail B there is formed an outturned flange b to receive the set-screw 25 and has a slot 19 to receive the bolt 24, by which the brackets that carry the "esmoe lower brush-wheelare adjusted horizontally, the vertical adjustment of said brush-wheel being effected 'byscrew-rod 17, carrying the axis of said wheel and made verticallyadjust I able in the slots of the brackets, as shown in my previous patent. Iisaninclined' brace connecting thedirtchamberX to the rail 13 at a point just in rod 3Ajof th'edirt-panBB. This rod, with the dirt-pan, in my previous patentreferred 'to is In the present casethe.

adj usted-vertically.

. v adjustment is at'right angles to thep'an and belt-brush, and for:.this purpose a set-screw:

3.6 is made to work'in line with the slot in brace Iand adjusts the pan directly to or from thebrush. I (SeeFig. 5). The lower end zoof this pan has the. same lift-lrod 40,Fig. 1,

I front by an inclined barJ, extending from'a' along the front and rear side'sof the receptaand form thebearing-rails for the wheels to,

i and lever 41 for raising and lowering it to or from the ground that is employed in my pat Qentreferred to. P

. The suspended dirt-chamber-X is braced in point near its bottom up to the main rail B.

Said dirt-chamber. is formed of horizontal ,transverse bars G at the top, G on the sides,

- -andG at the bottom, of a suitable casin'g. 3o Transverseguide-bars H are also arranged v at the bottom and haveedgerails h, adapted to receive the wheeled and movable receptacles R, that receive the dirt and trash. These 7 receptacles are made with the front side 7 5 higher than the rear and receive the dirt from r [the brush-belt at the rear over the lower side. The supporting-wheels w are set in recesses .cle, sothat the latter will fit closely in me 40 'chamber X and for the furtherpurpose of housing and covering the Wheels w, so that I theywill not become obstructed with the dirt falling between the receptacle and'its ease,

which would prevent it when loaded from bei .45 ing run out of the casing on the. guiderails.

The dirt-chamberis entirely open at its bottom,'as shown at Z, and the barsH have, attached totheir inner sides metal edge plates 7;, that rise above thelevel of. the bars H whose bearing, being a thin edge, causesthe wheels w tov cut through any trash that might accumulate on top of a broad-faced rail. :As

the dirt is carried up by thebrush-belt lover.

I 5 sxthe dirt-pan 33 it is delivered upon a hinged flap e, whichis curved and extends into the dirt-chamber and laps over the lower edgeof the dirt-receptacle R, as seen in Fig. 5. On the sides of the doors-D of the dirt-chamber 6o there are attached inclined cleat-strips d,

which extend over the inclined ends of the vdirt-receptacle...anjd prevent dirt from falling down between said ends and the doors. 7 A I hinged sheet-metal flap g. is also secured to the top'of the dirt-chamber and laps. down inside thefr'ont andhigher side of the dirt-y receptacle for a similar purpose. In the top d-f'the dirt-chamber there, is also adjustably secured. a sheet metal apron f, which approaches very close to the edges of the brush. This apron is rigidly attached .to the slotted arms f", and the slotted arms are adj ustably boltedtoth'e top timbers of the dirt-chamber, sothat theapronf may be adjustedtoward the brush as the ends of'the latter wear away. This is an important feature, as in-connection with the open *bottom of thedirt-chamber it prevents the blast produced by the brush from forcing acloud .of dust over the top ofv the brush and backtoward the rear of the machine. With this apron f the space is re duced to a minimum, and wi'thlthe open bot tom of thedirt-ehamber a relieffrom air-pressure in the dirt -..chamber is .afiorded that causes the smaller dirt particles to settle in the dirbreceptaele. When these movable-row ceptacles are filled with dirt, insteadofrdriv- .ing the sweeper to the dump to-disch-arge it, whichoccupies the time of the sweeper, team, and'driver for a long time and onlyfor-the transportation of a comparatively light load .of sweepings, a "longand low-wheeled truck, like a stone-wagon, is lined up beside the sweepenas shown at Y in Fig. 2*, and'adjustable skids H H, with metal bars 11. on their upper surfaces, are placed in alinement with the rails H H, with the hooked ends of plates h resting on a level with the .metal rails h and embracing the front sill of the-dirt-chamher X and the other ends of the skids restingon the truck. The movable receptacles R are then run outof the sweeper,asin dotted lines, Fig. 2, and over the skids onto the truck, which is built long enough to takethe receptacles of a nnmberof the sweepers, usually about fou r. plied with other empty receptacles R and go on with their sweeping while the loaded truck,

j ,in time and wear an-dtear on the sweepers involved in hauling the dirt a long distance in the sweepers. v

I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is g I I 1;. The framework fora street-sweeper, consisting of continuousside rails B having their front and rear ends horizontal, with an lip-- ward bend near the front for a suspended dirt- Qhamber, the vertical posts A extended below the side rails B and having at their lower ends, at a point' below the side rails, bearings for the wheel-axle, the bars E and D separately bolted in front to the railsB and in the rear to posts A, and bearing respectively a lever- The sweepers arethensup- Havingthus described my inventiomwhat said slot, and a dirt-pan hung to a shaft extending through said slots, and made thereby adjustable to or from the'brush in direction at right angles to the lower run of the brush substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. In a street sweeper, the combination with the dirt-chamber, and a brush delivering into the same; of an adjustable apron or plate fixed to the top of the dirt-chamber opposite that portion of the brush which moves away from the dirt-chamber and into the brush-casing and made adjustable to the brush substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. In a street sweeper, the combination with the dirt-chamber having an open bottom, and a removable receptacle in the same; of an adjustable apron or plate fixed to the top of the dirt-chamber opposite that portion of the brush which moves away from the dirtchainber into the brush-casing and made adj ustable, to the brush substantially as and for the purpose described. 4

5. In a street sweeper, the combination with a dirt-chamber; of a dirt-receptacle having a high front side, low rear side, and inclined ends, a hinged flap overlapping its low side, a hinged flap overlapping its high side, and an adjustable apron at the top of the dirtcharnber extending toward the brush substantially as and for the purpose described.

ALVIN BROWN. \Vitnesses:

F. M. ANNIS,

T. B. SWAN. 

